DNF

I got the audiobook via my library and returned it the same day. The narrator was great but I just didn't feel engaged at all with the story. I actually couldn't tell you what was going on other than some man who thinks he might've killed someone? Is our main character a private detective? Who's the guy she called? Husband? Ex-husband? Wish-he-was-husband?? I have no idea and I'll be honest and say it's probably just me not taking the info in but for a mystery I felt like there wasn't one. I need my mysteries to keep me on edge, desperate to figure out clues. This didn't do that for ee

I have spent years reading the Joona Linna series by Lars Kepler and even though I knew (based on the blurb) that this book was going to take a different direction, it was still a shock to read a book with such a different style from the same authors. Whereas the Joona Linna books go really dark, I Will Find The Key had more of a Golden-Age sleuth type feel and I loved it. It was such a brilliant mix of classic and contemporary crime - the PI and the Police Detective, the big country house, a limited number of suspects and a seemingly impossible crime to solve, but with the modern twist of the photograph of a murdered man being found on PG's mobile phone. I really enjoyed the writing style and despite having a much lighter storyline, I was still hooked all of the way through and interested to find out what actually happened.

Julia Stark is a fascinating lead character, her back story and subsequent personal and heath issues are truly unique and made me root for her in a way that I haven't felt for a long time. There is just something about her that really draws you in, as I read through the story I was desperately hoping that she would both solve the case and resolve the problems with her ex-husband Sid (who just happens to be the police officer helping her with this perplexing murder mystery).

This was an unusual mystery with an unusual detective duo, plenty of twists and turns and a pretty unlikeable set of suspects. However, they were unlikeable in the best possible way for this type of thriller, as the reader you go back and forth on who you think is responsible and their slightly annoying family dynamic really adds to the tension between them all, building a brilliant picture of realistic family rivalries.

I've heard that this will be Book 1 of a trilogy and I personally can't wait to get back to the Stark Detective Agency to follow another case. I wonder if we'll ever find out more about the 'china dolls' investigation? Maybe a prequel is on the cards too? I can only hope!

Julia Stark is a private investigator tasked to solve a strange case. PG turns up at her office and show her a photo on his phone of a man tied up, bloody sack covering his head and most likely dead. PG has no memory of taking the picture in fact his memory for the day before is empty and he wants Julia to find out who the body is and if he killed them.
Julia asks her ex husband Sid, a policeman, if he will accompany her on the case. She needs someone to drive her there and to help. As the story unfolds you realise that she has a disability causing her to walk with a stick, the cause of this and her other anxieties are gradually revealed towards the end of the book . Julia also has another reason for asking Sid, in that she hopes to persuade him to join her in her business.
This is written in the classic style of whodunnits, with the final round up of all the suspects in the red room for the final reveal.

We meet Private Investigator Julia Stark in Sweden for this one. Already at the beginning, we understand that she has been through something big. Something that has marked her soul.

One morning, a client knocks on the door before she has even opened. Mr. Bigshot. G.P., from old money. You know this is going to be good.😉

He has a photo on his mobile and no idea how it got there or when the photo was taken, due to a little blackout from drinking a little too much the evening before.


With twists so fabulous, I have no words. How could he do that to me? I only needed a couple more clues!😉

What could the motive be? The good, old money? Pride? Jealousy? Blackmal?

Exactly which key are we finding here? A key to the murder of a century, or to her ex-husbands heart once again?

I grew to admire and respect Julia through the book. She could very easily have sat down, given up and felt sorry for herself. No, she is a fighter. She has gotten up and tries to make the best of things. She has identified what she is good at and is working on that. And our girl has spunk.



I can tell you that I did certainly not solve this murder, then again, I didn’t really try because I had no clues! 😂 No, that is not right, there were plenty of clues, they just didn't take me to a place where I was sure enough to start my guessing.😂 Elegantly devious.
That did not stop me from really liking this book.🤗🤗

Well done, you, well done.
I will find some of your books in Swedish.🤗

Thank you NetGalley and Bonnie’s Books for this eCopy to review

I Will Find the Key is a gripping Nordic noir that kept me on the edge of my seat with its clever plot and well-drawn characters.

The story follows Julia Stark, a private investigator, who receives an unexpected visit from a man claiming to have no memory of how a photograph of a dead body ended up on his phone. Due to alcohol-related amnesia, he hires Julia to clear his name before the police get involved. Julia enlists the help of her ex-husband, Sidney Mendelson, a city police officer, to assist in the investigation.

Set in an opulent estate in northwestern Sweden, the book combines classic whodunnit elements with a modern twist. The family members, each with their own secrets and motives, add layers of complexity to the mystery. Julia’s intuition and Sidney’s police expertise create a dynamic partnership that drives the investigation forward.

What I loved most was the atmospheric setting and the tension that builds as Julia and Sidney navigate the family’s tangled web of lies.

An Impossible Case..?
When a man walks into Julia Starks office with a new case to solve, she cannot turn it down. It’s certainly intriguing, perhaps even impossible to solve. It’s not too long before Julia turns to ex husband, Sidney, for help and they find themselves at an extravagant and opulent estate where every single family member may well be mixed up in murder. Is this one mystery that Julia is destined not to solve? Clever and entertaining, a Swedish noir in whodunit style with an eclectic and well crafted cast and an atmospheric setting.

I really enjoyed this book, I liked our main character Julia, she was very intriguing and you knew that something had happened to her previously but you didn't instantly know what it was that had happened to her in the past. I liked how this was revealed bit by bit alongside the main storyline.

The main storyline was also very intriguing, PG had no idea if he had killed a man or not, it then turned out the man was his brother and he still had no idea! The family was full of secrets and there were times when I thought it could have been each of them. There were some parts that I had worked out but others came as a complete surprise! I thought the characters were well written and came across as an arguing family who didn't seem to like each other very much and often didn't have a good word to say about any of the others.

I really loved the writing style of this book and I really hope that maybe Julia and Sid can re-kindle their romance in a future book. However, we still don't know why the split up in the first place... that was one of the mysteries that wasn't revealed to us.

Crime thrillers set in the present day tend to rely heavily on DNA, CCTV and occasionally AI to solve crimes. It’s quite refreshing to be reacquainted with the old fashioned perception and intuition that detectives used to employ. Sherlock Holmes could famously tell a person’s occupation by their hands or tell tale signs on their clothes.

In I Will Find the Key, detective agency owner Julia Stark and her ex husband, a serving police officer, combine forces to solve the mystery. Julia is convinced it will take her just a few days Staying at the mansion involves dressing for dinner for lavish dinners and cocktails. All very Agatha Christie and reminiscent of the 1930s.

The family are not very forthcoming and it’s clear they don’t get on very well with each other. For a long time I was held in suspense as to whether Julia actually had the ability to solve the mystery. She admitted to being too impulsive with her opinions. I was frustrated by her obsession with her ex husband. The pair have several interviews with family members, but we are left in the dark about Julia's thought processes.

By the time the body is found, and Sidney calls the police, I’m convinced Julia's investigation will now be over, because surely her husband will need to brief the police and they will take over? Surprisingly this doesn’t seem to happen. Julia summons the family together and reveals her insights on family dynamics and history, and ultimately, who committed the crime. Her insight is jaw dropping. It was all a bit too bit late in the day though for me. I couldn't understand why the police weren't already involved. A patchy and inconsistent read.

All felt very odd for me this book. Very underdeveloped and the characters who are police joke about the case? It just didn't gel and I didn't care for the characters or the thin on the ground mystery.

This could have been a five star review because there was a lot I enjoyed but… the way PG and Monika reacted seemed inconsistent. Why take something so puzzling seriously then joke about the situation or at least speak too casually of it. It spoiled the feel of the book for me.

I absolutely loved the mystery and suspense of this book, it hooked me right away and it was quick and easy to read.